At Primal Palate, our mission is to provide you with healthy, nutrient-dense recipes; regardless of any food sensitivities, allergies, or specialty diets. We believe food is meant to be enjoyed; and no one should ever feel as though their world is limited because of food. Whether you are allergic to nuts, eggs, or shellfish; combating an autoimmune disease, avoiding FODMAPs, or eliminating sugar altogether, we want this to be a place where you can find recipes you and your family can enjoy.

To help you find recipes tailored to your needs, we have 12 specialty diet filters available on our site! These include:

We know many of these diets may seem daunting initially, and you may feel lost on what you can or cannot eat. That’s why we’ve categorized each and every recipe for you. No longer are you left wondering, “Does this recipe contain nuts?” “Is that recipe AIP friendly?” “I can’t have nightshades, will this recipe work for me?” It’s time to get excited about cooking healthy again.

In this post, we’ll show you:

How to use the specialty diet filters on PrimalPalate.com

How to save recipes for later use

The meaning of each filter and why some individuals may choose to follow it

How do I use the specialty diet filters?

When visiting the ‘Recipes’ page, on the left-side menu bar you will find all of our specialty diet filters. Once a dietary filter box is checked, only recipes adhering to the diet(s) selected will be shown. It’s that simple!

You are able to use multiple filters at once to accommodate your nutritional needs. You can also filter recipes by meal, or recipe type.

So whether you’re looking for a special treat for your daughter’s birthday, but she can’t have nuts or eggs…

Or you’re looking for a few egg-free breakfast ideas…

Or you’re eliminating FODMAP’s from your diet…

I’ve found a recipe I really like, and I don’t want to lose it! What do I do?

When you find a recipe you like, click the gold “+” sign to add it to your weekly meal plan. Your meal plan can be found anytime under the tab, myKitchen. [Note: You need to be a registered user to use myKitchen, so that recipes can be saved to your account.]

The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) focuses on reducing inflammation in the gut that causes an autoimmune response. Autoimmune disease cannot be cured, but the AIP diet works to calm and decrease inflammation, thereby lessening the disease’s symptoms and ideally putting it into remission.

The Autoimmune Protocol is an elimination diet designed to combat inflammation and reduce flare-ups. The AIP diet removes:

Dairy

Eggs

Legumes

Sugar and high-glycemic foods

Nuts and nut oils

Seeds and seed oils

Spices derived from seeds

Nightshades

Alcohol

Coffee

Chocolate

Diet and lifestyle can play a large role in keeping AI diseases under control. By eliminating inflammatory foods, you can create an environment to heal your body from within. Use the dietary filter on our Recipes page to search through our entire collection of AIP-friendly, gut-healing recipes, or view a few of our favorites below:

For more information, tips, and advice on the AutoImmune Protocol, check out our interview with Bre’anna of He Won’t Know It’s Paleo, who is treating Celiac Disease and Hashimoto’s with AIP.

Coconut-Free

A coconut free diet avoids all coconut or coconut-derived products. Coconut allergy symptoms are similar to those of a tree nut and other food allergy symptoms. The allergy is caused when the immune system mistakes the proteins found in the coconut product as unsafe. The immune system then creates antibodies and activates other chemicals to fight off the coconut proteins.

If you suspect you have contact dermatitis due to coconut products, visit your doctor and request a patch test for proper diagnosis. If diagnosed, be sure to check the ingredient list on labels when buying any products for yourself or your home.

Dairy-Free

Our Dairy-free recipe filter benefits people with both lactose intolerance and a Casein allergy. An allergic reaction occurs in individuals whose body mistakes the casein protein for a harmful protein, and triggers a histamine response which can include swelling (of the mouth and throat), skin irritation, and congestion (to name a few).

With an egg allergy, symptoms may appear only a short period of time after eating or even touching eggs. Egg allergies can cause skin reactions such as swelling, rash, hives, or eczema. Other symptoms may include wheezing or difficulty breathing, runny nose and sneezing, red, watery eyes, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, and most severely, anaphylaxis.

Sugar Free

A sugar free diet eliminates foods that contain sugar. Yes, this even means Paleo-approved sugars! All natural sugars are completely eliminated when this dietary filter is selected. Meaning no honey, maple syrup, stevia, molasses; you name it. You will not even find fruit or fruit juice in the recipes categorized as, “sugar-free.”

The sugar-free dietary filter can be especially helpful if you are doing a 21 Day Sugar Detox. We have provided a full 21DSD Menu Plan for your reference, so be sure to check it out. If you’d like to swap out a recipe on any given day, you may do so by looking through our entire collection of sugar-free recipes. Or, check out a few of our favorite sugar-free recipes below. Remember – just because a recipe isn’t sweetened, doesn’t mean it can’t be bursting with flavor!

Pescetarian

On occasion, we have received the question, “Is it possible to follow a vegetarian version of Paleo?” It would be extremely difficult to consume an adequate supply of protein, and we have therefore included a pescetarian dietary filter on our site. A pescetarian is one who maintains a vegetarian diet, with the addition of fish and other sea foods. In other words, pescetarians eat fish and shellfish, but still abstain from eating other meat sources.

Many Paleo eaters are known to love their pasture-roaming protein sources, but vegetables and wild-caught fish are also a vital element of the diet. Rest assured, you will certainly find many delicious pescetarian recipes with this filter.

GAPS

GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome, and was created by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, a neurologist and nutritionist. Campbell-McBride argues that 90 percent of our cells and genetic material reside in the gut, and therefore healing the digestive tract is essential to healing the nervous system, and rest of the body. The GAPS diet is used to treat children with autism, ADHD or other gut-related disorders, but it can benefit anyone with depression, psychological disorders, allergies or subpar gut health. Following a high-quality, nutrient-dense diet is one of the most effective ways to maintain health and prevent disease.

Nut-Free

Nuts are often viewed as a “gateway” food in the Paleo diet. Many who switch to Paleo will often have nuts as a quick and easy snack food, which is not always optimal for the diet. Due to the high amount of omega-6 fatty acids found in nuts, they can cause inflammation within the body and digestive distress for many. They can also cause problems for those suffering from an autoimmune disease.

Nuts are viewed mostly as a treat food or often appear as a garnish on Primal Palate recipes. When choosing nuts to eat, it is best to select raw nuts, or better yet, to soak and dehydrate the nuts before consumption.

Crustaceans: These cause most shellfish allergies, and include shrimp, crab and lobster.

Mollusks: Do not cause many allergies, and include clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops. Mollusks such as clams, mussels, oysters and scallops do not cause as many allergies.

In our dietary filters, we remove both crustaceans and mollusks from recipes categorized as, “shellfish free.” Note that this does not encompass all seafood dishes. Cod, salmon, and tuna dishes are categorized as shell-fish free. It is possible to be allergic to fish and not shellfish, so be sure to check with your doctor with any questions/concerns you may have.

Nightshade-Free

Nightshades are a group of foods that have been shown to cause inflammation. If you suffer from arthritis, eliminating nightshades may help with the chronic pain and inflammation associated with the disease. It is recommended that individuals suffering from an autoimmune disease also avoid these inflammatory foods.

The glycoalkaloids, a natural pesticide produced by nightshade plants, are known to contribute to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and affect intestinal permeability. Research has shown that glycoalkaloids can break the membranes of red blood cells and mitochondria, so it is considered one of the possible causes for “leaky gut” syndromes due to their capability to poke holes in cell walls.

If you think nightshades may be negatively affecting your health, you can try avoiding all nightshades for three months. After this time period, slowly reintroduce them, taking note of any aches, pains, stiffness, loss of energy or headaches that may accompany the return of this food into your diet. Until then, explore our entire collection of Nightshade-Free recipes, or view a few of our favorites below: